


And Now There's A Ghost In The Back Of This Room

by Lilsciencequeen



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Nightmares, Post-Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 22:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11541603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilsciencequeen/pseuds/Lilsciencequeen
Summary: Season 5 Spec; While on the run, May and Jemma have a one to one.





	And Now There's A Ghost In The Back Of This Room

She was asleep, the rise and fall of her chest gentle in sleep. Fitz and Daisy were curled up on the bed with her, the three of them sharing the larger bed in the room so that May could have the other one to herself. It had been weeks now since they had gone on the run, the four of them. Coulson had asked her to take them, to get them away.

She had of course. She always would have. These three agents; she had once described them as kids, and at the time, they had been, the two scientists not having passed their field assessments and Daisy having been taken off the streets, quite literally. And over the years, after so many traumas, after all the hell they had suffered, they had grown into the agents they were now, more than capable of handling anything that had been thrown at them. And for a while, it had seemed that the Framework, the LMD invasion of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be something that was too much for them to come back from, but somehow, they had.

It had taken a while, but they were slowly working through all that had happened, and with help, Fitz was coming to terms with what AIDA had done to him, what she had subjected him too. It was hard, no one was going to deny that and there were bad days but he was recovering. His and Jemma’s relationship was nearly what it once was, though it had been put on the back burner while he recovered but it hadn’t ended like Jemma had feared.

She had confided those fears in May the first day they had gone on the run, saying that she had heard Fitz saying their relationship was dead, and that he had killed any hopes for a future together. She had explained that she knew he would need time to recover, that he had been through so much, a lifetime of pain and hell and she didn’t know what to do, she didn’t want to lose her best friend. She also explained that she didn’t know _how_ to help Fitz, how to support him in this and she was scared of doing the wrong thing. May had told her she already had part of the answer, that time would help, and she could support him by simple being there for him but he would have to fight the battle himself, but she could still guide him. She had also reassured her that it would take time for their relationship to be what it once was, but not to worry. She wasn’t going to lose Fitz. Not again. Not this time.

And it seemed that Jemma had taken her words in, and slowly, they had clawed their way back, they had salvaged their relationship. A soft smile crossed her lips as that thought crossed her mind and she continued to watch them from the door of the bedroom in the hotel, the three of them a jumble of limbs. She turned from her position in the doorway, closing it slightly behind her and made her way to the small kitchen/lounge area that was just down the hallway.

She reached for the kettle, filling it with the water and flicking it to boil the water whilst she reached for a mug and placed a tea bag in it. It took only minutes for the kettle to boil and for May to make her mug of tea. She curled up in the armchair with it, sipping gently. A magazine caught her attention, one of the trashy celebrity ones that Daisy enjoyed so much and curiosity got the better of her, so she reached over, grabbing it from the side table, flicking through it.

She was halfway through an article about some reality star when she heard footsteps echoing. She paused, stilling herself so she could try and pinpoint where they were coming from. They were coming from inside the apartment, that much she knew.

“May?” The voice that called her name was soft and full of sleep. She spun in the direction that it was coming from and saw Jemma standing at the entrance to the room, wearing one of Fitz’s old shirts, the thing coming down to just above her knees. She chewed her lip nervously. “Can I… can I speak to you?”

May nodded and the biochemist made her way into the room. She took her time, and there was a look of fear on her face.

“Jemma,” May said, looking at the younger woman as she curled up on the sofa, hugging a cushion close to her, immediately sensing that something was wrong. “What’s wrong?”

Jemma shrugged, tears clinging to her lashes before dampening her cheeks. “I don’t know.”

May moved from her position, and sat on the sofa next to Jemma, pulling the biochemist into her arms. Jemma sank into her, sobs escaping her as she let out all the emotions that she had been holding onto for so long now escape. May let her cry, knowing that it would help. She still murmured soft reassurance and rocked them back and forth, not just in an attempt to soothe Jemma, but also soothe herself as well.

Every time she saw Jemma, she couldn’t help but think back to the Framework; of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy where there had been faculty member called Jemma Anne Simmons who had been working in the same department as she had whilst she had been undercover for Hydra, of the Uprising and the orders from _Madame Hydra_ , of the woman fighting for what she had believed was right, of the woman who had chosen to stand with S.H.I.E.L.D., of herself putting two bullets in the woman; the first closer to her collar bone then one in her heart. Of the woman crying in pain, begging her not to kill her, begging May to let her go. May never. She had orders and she couldn’t let one girl go. So she had killed the girl. Leaving her body in a pile of her blood in the lab, the red staining the white tiles. 

After waking up from the Framework, after reliving all the pain and death she had caused, Jemma’s death had affected her the most. Even if it wasn’t really her, the woman who she had watched grow up over the past years, the woman who had survived unimaginable traumas, it was still horrible seeing the face she knew so well contorted in pain because of herself.

But thinking of this, telling Jemma this, it wouldn’t help her, not now. So she continued to rock them back and forth until Jemma’s sobs had eased.

“Did you have a nightmare?” May asked. She had been with S.H.I.E.L.D. long enough to know what Jemma would be feeling, and she had known Jemma long enough to know what she would be feeling.

Jemma looked up at her, eyes wide and glistening with tears. Then she nodded slowly. “I’m sorry,” she whispered and May felt her heartache.

“No,” she replied, shaking her head and wiping away one of Jemma’s tears. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for. Do you want to talk to me about it?”

“It’s just everything… From the Pod to Hydra to… Maveth… I thought I was getting better…” Her voice was low and broken and from the sounds of things, it seemed that she was disappointed in herself.

“That’s okay,” May tried to reassure her. “It’s okay to have bad days like this, but you shouldn’t put others first if you need help yourself.”

“Fitz…” Jemma began. “He went through more than me. He needs… he needs the help more than me.”

“No.” May’s voice was stern but soft, knowing that this is what Jemma would want at this moment in time, that something like this would comfort her and be exactly what she needed. “Just because others are suffering doesn’t lessen your pain. Helping others is nice, its good Jemma but you can’t keep putting other first if you need help.” She reached a brushed a loose strand of hair back behind Jemma’s ears, the younger woman herself looking about she was going to speak when…

“Jemma!” It was Fitz’s voice and he came rushing into the room, kneeling on the sofa in front of her. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “I just had a nightmare.” Upon seeing his face, she kept speaking. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I didn’t want to wake you.”

He took her hands in his own and smiled up at her. “I’m fine,” she reassured, tilting her head back and looking at May before meeting his gaze once again. “Well, not really. But I’m going to get there, okay?”

He nodded, understanding what she was talking about. He knew that something had happened on base with his LMD, something that she hadn’t yet been able to talk about yet. All he knew is what Daisy had told him and no matter what happened, he would be there for her. She had been there for him over the past number of weeks as she helped him come to terms with what had happened in the Framework, helping to show him that it wasn’t his fault. He was still recovering but he was getting there.

And with whatever came next, he would help Jemma.

May pulled away from Jemma, and he took her seat on the sofa, pulling Jemma in close to him, allowing his lips to dance across hers, a soft tender kiss full of hope and promise when they heard it.

Sirens.

Red and blue lights broke through the curtains, casting an eerie glow around the room. “They’ve found us,” Jemma breathed, her voice a mixture of hurt and shock. They had tried so hard to remain hidden for more than three days this time, and it hadn’t worked.

May nodded, turning the lights of in the room, to try and show that the room wasn’t occupied. “Get Daisy,” she hissed. “We’re leaving. Now.”

The two scientists nodded, heading back to the bedroom together, hand in hand.

It was only five minutes later that they left the hotel, climbing out the window and sneaking down the fire escape to get to the car that was hiding around the back of the hotel, May and Daisy carrying the two bags they had, taking their time so as not to make noise that might alert anyone to their location.

They managed to get to the car without being caught, Daisy and May climbing into the front with the two scientists climbing in the back together, curling up next to her. Before driving off, May caught Jemma’s eyes in the rear-view mirror and the two woman exchanged a knowing look, before taking off for their next destination, wherever that may be.

**Author's Note:**

> This is almost a role reversal of [Set My Sights On The Setting Sun](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11509791), where Jemma puts herself first.   
> Title from Nightmares by All Time Low.  
> Thanks for checking out, hope you enjoyed!


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